Washington welcomes Mahathir as voice of reason

Washington welcomes Mahathir as voice of reason

Simon Cameron-Moore, Reuters, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will be welcomed as a
voice of reason in the war on terror and the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict when he goes to the White House this week.

The veteran statesman, whose frankness has the capacity to
offend Jews, gays and whites, is likely to be on best diplomatic
behavior when he meets President George W. Bush on Tuesday to
receive thanks for his support since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Shunned after the jailing of Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy who
dared challenge him in 1998, Mahathir is back on Washington's
guest list after an eight year gap.

Mahathir, ironically, goes to Washington carrying some kudos
for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by
Myanmar's military junta last week.

At a time when Myanmar was regarded as a pariah, Mahathir
pioneered the policy of constructive engagement with Yangon's
generals to encourage political change.

An old anticolonialist, Mahathir believes Asia should find its
own way to democracy rather than be forced down the route the by
West, and he distrusts western white hegemony.

He bridles at any preaching on democratic mores or at being
told how to run Malaysia's economy, which he steered out of Asian
crisis -- contrary to International Monetary Fund advice -- by
fixing the exchange rate and slapping on capital controls.

Whereas Washington once harbored doubts about Mahathir's
diplomatic credentials, Asia's longest serving elected leader is
now a man to cultivate on a number of counts.

He is a Muslim, moderate on religious issues and strong on
defense and security issues, having locked up more than 60
militants in a crackdown that hotted up after Sept. 11.

Next year Mahathir is a shoe-in to become the chairman of both
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), grouping 57
Muslim countries, and of the Non-Aligned Movement, which
comprises 115 states largely from the developing world.

And in a region often beset by political turmoil, Malaysia
represents a "beacon of stability", James A. Kelly Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs said when
he visited Malaysia last month.

Kelly was also full of praise for Mahathir's controversial
speech to OIC foreign ministers at a conference on terrorism in
Kuala Lumpur in early April.

To the chagrin of Arab delegations, Mahathir suggested
Palestinian suicide bombers as well the Israeli state should be
considered terrorists, along with anyone else who targets
civilians.

The Middle East issue is also working in his favor at home,
helping him rebuild bridges within his own ethnic Malay majority,
whose vote was split in 1999 by his humiliation of Anwar.

Mahathir stole the show last week when he shared the platform
with the leader of the Islamic party for the first time, live on
television, in a program condemning Israel.

Mahathir called Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "an
animal" and said Muslims should unite to isolate Israel
diplomatically, to cheers from an audience drawn largely from the
Islamic opposition, allied to Anwar.

His office issued a less emotive statement on Friday.

"We have insisted that negotiations are the only path to a
peaceful resolution on this conflict and that military actions
are no options for both sides."

Washington expects more of the same next week.

"When the two leaders get together, the number one issue they
are going to talk about will be counter-terrorism because that's
the most important issue on our agenda, and Malaysia also shares
that belief," U.S. ambassador Marie T. Huhtala told Reuters.

"But they will talk about a number of other things too,
especially, I believe, the situation in the Middle East."

There is also speculation that the U.S. will sell Malaysia F-
18 E/F Super Hornet fighters.

Malaysia's ties with the U.S. at the security level remained
tight throughout all the diplomatic squalls. The U.S. is also
Malaysia's biggest exporter and trading partner.

"Mahathir always preferred meeting American businessmen to
American politicians," said John Mallot, former U.S. ambassador
to Kuala Lumpur, who had wanted Bush to withdraw the invitation
to Mahathir in support of Anwar, who is serving a 15 year jail-
term.